Why Labeling Negatively Leads To Negative Attitude
What do you think when you read the word ‘label’?
What does labeling really mean? Labeling means there will be a name for an illness or a decease. Of course, we have to name cancer or illness and deceases, there is no doubt about that, but I believe that we have to name them positively. We think negative too much. We get a negative spiral and thus a negative world.
When I read the word ‘label’, I think about having a name for every issue, habit, having a name for every decease there is (or just getting a new decease name) and places people in ‘boxes’ to show others and to know for themselves that they are fine, that there is nothing wrong with them. Most of the names just made up, even when scientists and psychologists didn’t name anything or did research about it. People want to know if they have something or not.
People have this, people have that these days. Everything has a label these days. But I’m asking why we have to put people in ‘boxes’. I mean, why can’t we accept people just who they are?
When you play the violin or another instrument, people always think you’re boring. They think you’re boring because you are busy playing an instrument only and wearing chic clothes all the time. This hasn’t to be the truth. But this is a general thought people making up and believing each other.
When you’re playing in a heavy metal band, people believe you’re an aggressive person. Most of them wearing black clothes — with clothing pictures made from the same materials as the clothes (who knows what this is called?). Then you do belong to a certain group, but your character could be very different from most people in that group. Because you also wear those clothes, they think you’re the same.
When you’re a doctor, people think you’re one of the richest people in the world. When you’re a doctor, there are endless possibilities where you can work and in which grade. When you’re a family doctor you live — most of them — at a normal villa. When you’re working at a hospital, you’re ranked a bit higher. And when you’re a surgeon, the salary will be way more than another doctor, but it all depends on your degree and your job function.
But this all doesn’t have to be true.
Everything, from a decease to a habit, is labeled into a name. Mostly with a negative sounded name, will also lead to negative thoughts or attitude towards others. These people have a general view of who people are. This is, of course, not always true. It’s a shame.
What happens when we judge others, the individuals, about group behavior? This is, mostly, negatively. This has a big impact on someone’s life. That person could feel devalued. And sad. Because you play a musical instrument you don’t have to be boring. When you’re a doctor, you don’t have to be rich or living in that big villa, or being aggressive towards others when you’re wearing black leather clothes.
What I want to say is that for everything in the world there is a name. When there will be new behavior in combination with another behavior, there must be a name for it.
When you have a name for behaving self-centered, but you’re social too, there must be a name for this behavior. Mostly to show you’re just as fine, or to give the person a certain peace for how we behave. People want to ‘belong’ to normal people in a certain way. So they can say they may act like this and that, and this would be the next norm to behave towards others. Which is actually absurd.
I believe we shouldn’t just name certain behaviors or deceases and illnesses. Just when it’s proven by science, then I believe we are allowed to use it and not misuse these names and labels.
I also believe, that when there is a name, that we should name a label positively and use them properly.
Not using them to everything you might have until psychologists have proven you with tests that you have that particular behavior, illness or decease.
In this world today, mostly because of social media, we have seen growth, which is called toxicity, in bad human behavior in real life. We have to think about ourselves much more. There is nothing wrong with that, but we have to combine that with real commitment and show more our vulnerability. But we also don’t have to let others decide what is best for us, but we have to be more social in real life. What if we do that, do we still need all these labels?
But the point is, that we should label, when necessary, positively, so we can have a better world.
Agnes Laurens is a writer. She writes for the local newspaper. Agnes lives in Bunnik, The Netherlands, with her husband and three daughters. Writing is — aside from playing the violin — one of her passions since childhood. She is on Twitter and Instagram.
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